20 things you may not know about Eigg

Eigg means notch in Gaelic and it shape was an important navigational mark for the Vikings.

Eigg also used to be called Eilean nam Ban Mora – island of the big women – by the islanders when at sea, yet fishermen on Eigg did not go to sea if a woman crossed their path as they went to the shore.

Eigg inhabitants used to catch shearwaters and eat them boiled with potatoes.

Eigg was and still is the most populated of the four Small Isles.

Eigg used to have its own illicit whisky still, run by Neil MacQuarrie who had it hidden above the shore in Cleadale

Iain Dubh 'ic Ailean, a famed Clanranald poet and veteran of the 1715 Rebellion, used to reside in Lower Grulin.

Eigg was used as training ground for the 1945 Normandy Landing by the SOE.

Lord Runciman, Eiggs' 5th owner was recalled to London from Eigg by Navy frigate when Neville Chamberlain asked him to go and mediate between Hitler and the Czech government during the Sudeten crisis.

There is an Eigg Mountain and an Eigg Road in Canada, both settled with Eigg 19th century emigrants.

The Sgurr of Eigg is the largest single piece of rock in the British isles

Eigg is the first island to have a green grid integrating solar, wind and hydro power.

Eigg was the second community buy-out in Scotland, and the first island buy-out.

Eigg was entirely Catholic until the 18th century, when a resident minister was appointed to the Small Isles

Eigg's bird population numbers 130 breeding species including 7 type of raptors.

Hugh Miller's observation of the Sgurr of Eigg helped him develop his geological insights.

Eigg once had the smallest Co-op branch in Scotland.

In the 1920's, Eigg's lady doctor, Dr Devon, landed her plane on Laig Sands as part of a campaign for a Scottish Air ambulance.

Dr MacAskill who farmed Kildonnan and built the existing farmhouse introduced small pox vaccination to the Small Isles in the early 19th century.

In the early 1960's, two puffers went down at the North end of the island, the second trying to salvage the cargo of the first.

A favourite pastime of Keith Schellenberg, Eigg's 8th owner, was to organise war games with his summer guests.

11 things you may know about Canna

The isle of Canna used to have its own postal stamp, issued in 1958 by J.L.Campbell to raise funds for the Shipwrecked Mariners Society.

Corroghon Tower was built as a prison for the wife of a Clanranald chief.

Donald of the Cuckoo, the same Clanranald chief, died on Canna. The story was that the Devil came to get him on the hour of his death, but that young MacDonald of Cross managed to stop him from getting out of his bed, thus savinghis soul.

Compass hIll on Canna has such a high Iron content that is distorts compasses on passing ships, positing East rather then North.

Canna wood mice are descended from Viking stock.

Canna rats were eradicated in a massive campaign which involves removing all Canna Mice form the island and re-introducing them once all rats were eradicated.

The Sound of Canna has the largest population of fan mussels in Scotland and is scheduled to become a Marine Protected Area.

The reason why the Sound fof Canna has remained such a good habitat form wildlife is that it was used a s ammunition dump at the end of WW2, therefore discouraging trawlers from fishing there.

Heisker near Canna is where the largest population of Basking Sharks congregates in the summer months.

Canna suffered greatly in the repression following Culloden with the Royal Navy confiscating and destroying the cattle of the men who were thought to have taken part in the Jacobite Campaign.

Canna was the place where the famous Gaelic poet, Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, started to compose his famous epic poem, the Birlinn of Clanranald.

The Small Isles is the name given to the 4 Inner Hebridean islands of Canna, Eigg, Muck and Rum, when they became a parish in their own right in the mid 17th century.

There are no Munros in the Small Isles but Rum has one Corbett.

The Bullough family built Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum between 1897 and 1900 and the Castle holds one of only 3 known orchestrions in the world.

Kinoch Castle Orchestrion on Rum

Canna is owned by the National Trust of Scotland and is made up of the isle of Canna and the tidal island of Sanday.

Rum ponies are bred on Muck.

The Sgurr is a mile-long pitchstone ridge which dominates Eigg’s skyline and can be seen from the Scottish mainland.

The highest total population for all four islands was 1620 people in 1821. Currently the permanent population is just under 200 people.

Sea-eagles were re-introduced to Scotland on Rum.

The name of the isle of Muck is derived from the word “Muc na Mhara” meaning "sea-pig" i.e. whale, in Scottish Gaelic.

Compass Hill on Canna has such a high metal content that it distorts compasses on passing ships.

Eigg was bought from a private owner in a community buy-out in 1997 and is now owned by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust.

The Red Deer Research project on Rum is one of the longest and most complete scientific studies of a wild population of vertebrates in the world.

The islands can be reached by ferry from Mallaig, by boat from Arisaig and by private charters from Skye or Knoydart.

Canna has the ruins of a medieval prison and of an Early Christian monastery

Early Christian Monastery on Canna

Muck has a brand new community hall which opened in 2012.

A Celtic blessing stone dating from the 7th century found on Canna in 2012 is the only one ever to be found outside Ireland.

Rum is owned by Scottish Natural Heritage.

Canna has a burial site of a Viking King.

Eigg was one of the first places in Scotland to be 100% powered on renewable energy.

In the Small Isles, you can stay in a bothy, a hotel, a yurt, a caravan, a B&B, a hostel or go wild camping.

Store lambs being prepared for shipping to Oban Market in 1967 on MV Loch Arkaig